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FoxPAC: Murdoch's lame explanation for News. Corp's donations to the RGA and CoC

October 07, 2010 9:04 am ET by Ben Dimiero

Last night, Politico's Keach Hagey got a response from Rupert Murdoch about News. Corp.'s recent million dollar donations to the GOP-aligned Chamber of Commerce and the Republican Governors' Association. Murdoch claims that the donation to the RGA "doesn't reflect on Fox News" and "had nothing to do with Fox News." Murdoch buttresses this assertion by stating that the gift was actually a result of his "friendship with John Kasich."

Murdoch apparently has an interesting definition of "nothing to do with Fox News." John Kasich is the former Fox News host who is currently running for governor of Ohio. Kasich was with Fox News for nine years and used his platform there to position himself for his eventual run for governor. Despite announcing in March of 2008 that he was paving the way for a gubernatorial run, Kasich continued to appear regularly -- in at least 123 segments* -- on-air as a Fox contributor and host until he formally announced his run on June 1, 2009.

After Kasich officially declared his candidacy, he has continued to benefit from his close relationship with the network, with Fox hosts and personalities campaigning for him, offering him easy interviews/infomercials, and openly rooting for his candidacy. As Hagey noted, Kasich's relationship with the network has raised ethical concerns in the past. The Democratic Governors Association "filed a complain with the Ohio Elections Commission accusing Fox News of making an illegal in-kind donation to Kasich by running a chyron featuring Kasich's website while he was on 'The O'Reilly Factor' soliciting donations."

RGA chairman Haley Barbour has previously said that he "asked Rupert Murdoch to help us, and he thought about it, and called me back, and said he wanted to help us. I'm very grateful."

Fox News is so far down the ethical rabbit hole that Murdoch apparently thinks "this donation had nothing to do with Fox News, I was only donating because I'm close friends with the former Fox News host running for Governor of Ohio" is a reasonable explanation. News. Corp's treatment of Kasich bodes well for their current stable of no less than five potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates.

And what about Fox's other million dollar donation to the GOP-aligned Chamber of Commerce? Well, Murdoch has an explanation for that, too. See, he "didn't expect" it to become public, and News. Corp is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, so Murdoch "just thought [he] was being a good member."

Add another example to Rupert Murdoch's "see no evil" approach to his flagship news property.

*CLARIFICATION: This post has been updated to clarify that Kasich appeared in at least 123 segments on Fox News. When Kasich guest-hosted The O'Reilly Factor, Media Matters counted each segment.

Tags: Fox News Channel, John Kasich, Rupert Murdoch, News Corp.

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    • Author by David2012 (October 07, 2010 9:13 am ET)
      9 1
      It's actually pretty important that everyone understand that Rupert Murdoch is simply a mendacious liar.
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      • Author by Unreality (October 08, 2010 3:02 am ET)
           
        Oh come on, you're understating the case against Murdoch. Try he's untruthful, dishonest, deceitful, false, dissembling, insincere, disingenuous, hypocritical, fraudulent, double-dealing, two-faced, two-timing, duplicitous, perjured; untrue, fictitious, falsified, fabricated, fallacious, invented, made up; full of crap; perfidious, and wouldn't recognize the truth if it were printed on hundred dollar bills.
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    • Author by aj6525 (October 07, 2010 9:17 am ET)
      5  
      Everyone can thank Justice Alito for that.
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    • Author by wookie (October 07, 2010 9:23 am ET)
      6  
      Murdoch buttresses this assertion by stating that the gift was actually a result of his "friendship with John Kasich."


      Ah, so he is buying offices for his friends, not for his party. Well, that's a relief...
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    • Author by nerzog (October 07, 2010 9:29 am ET)
      8  
      Sometimes I wonder if Murdoch is in touch with reality. He certainly didn't sound like it in his Congressional testimony.

      Then again, he may just be a mendacious liar, as David2010 said.
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    • Author by pilotshark (October 07, 2010 9:55 am ET)
      8  
      I though News Corp. 2nd holder of the keys was a Saudi national? if so is that not foreign influence?

      just wondering
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